Starbucks Lovers
by lovefrancesg
Summary: College junior Riley Matthews is a regular at the coffee shop. She would spend hours sitting by herself, studying and doing homework. What if one day, just as she was so focused on getting some schoolwork done, a green eyed boy takes her attention away?


A/N: I do not own Starbucks, or NYU, or Netflix.

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 _They were right. College is fun but it is definitely not easy._ Riley Matthews thought as she frustratedly took a sip of her coffee. She was currently situated at a Starbucks near New York University. It was a place where she was a regular at that even the barista knows her usual-grande blonde roast with 2 pumps of caramel and room for cream.

She was on her third year at college, majoring in Education following the footsteps of her father. Her focus was Childhood Education which is teaching from the first to sixth grade. She had already begun her undergraduate field experience where she conducts student teaching at different school sites under the supervision of a teacher.

Starbucks was her mothership. Finals week were coming around and she had a pile of teaching plans to go over. It was the only place that she could really concentrate at and the only place that would help her keep awake from all the work she had to do. Granted she could always go to the library but it was _too_ quiet for her, as weird as that sounds. Her dorm room would be an ideal place to study as well but 15 minutes into studying and she always ends up lounging on her bed, catching up on her shows on Netflix.

The placed was packed at the moment. It was around 2 in the afternoon and people were coming and going. It was a good thing that she was able to come a little early and found a table for two spot near the window-not that she needed the other chair for someone. She took a quick look around her surroundings and smiled, when suddenly her phone rang.

"Hey Maya," Riley cheerfully answered the call. "Are you getting ready for bed?"

"Not really, just relaxing. It was such an exhausting but very productive day," Maya responded. Riley's best friend was at another continent. Maya was studying art abroad in Paris, through a scholarship with New York University. The six hour time difference was not their friend but they made their long distance relationship work. Usually, Maya would call Riley after she comes back to her dorm room. "How are you Peaches?"

Riley groaned, "I feel like I'm on my deathbed. There's so much to do but so little time. And there's only so much caffeine I can consume."

"You gotta learn what you teach the kiddos, Riles." Maya laughed on the other line. "But you're almost done. Two weeks am I correct? Hang tight."

"Yes and one week until you come back home!"

"Can't I stay here instead?" Maya sighed. "It's so beautiful here Riles. I wish you were able to come visit me during the semester. I know you've always dreamed of going to Paris."

Riley gave a small smile, even though she knew Maya would not be able to see it. "I know Peaches but junior year got so hectic. Someday."

"Yes someday," Maya giggled. "So how is Farkle?"

"Always busy especially with their family business," Riley replied as she checked her emails on her laptop. "We'll both pick you up from the airport okay?"

"Gotcha," Maya responded. "Well I'll let you go now. I know you've got a lot to do and I need to finish up some sketches too. I miss you Riles!"

"Miss you too! See you soon!" Riley then hung up and set her phone down on the table so she could get back to work.

The brunette was instantly focused on the paperwork she was doing. She began typing furiously on her laptop, not taking a side glance away. _Okay, I've reached my caffeine peak and I am focused._ She thought. _Maybe this is a psychological thing_. She asked herself. The thing is, there always is a couple of hours within the timeframe she's at Starbucks, where the coffee kicks in and she's instantly very productive. She takes advantage of it until it wears off and she has to take a necessary study break.

She was already 5 pages into her teaching plan, when a tap on her shoulder interrupted her focus. "Excuse me? Would you mind if I sat here for just a couple of minutes?" Riley looked up from her laptop to see a pair of green eyes staring at her. Her mouth opened to say something but nothing came out. "I really apologize for bothering you but I'm just waiting for the bus. And my legs are sore from yesterday's practice and all the seats are taken."

"Uhh..." It was all that came out of her.

The stranger laughed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, "I'm so sorry this is really weird. I'm just going to go now. Have a nice day."

"Wait!" Riley called out just as the boy started to walk away. "It's not a problem. Please do take a seat." She gave him a sweet smile and he returned it. He quietly pulled out the chair from under the table and sat down.

"Thank you so much. I promise I won't be a bother,"

Riley went back to what she was doing prior to the interruption but she couldn't focus anymore. There was a handsome man sitting right across from her and he smelled insanely captivating. _It would be rude if I didn't say anything right?_ She looked up from her laptop just as the man took a sip from his cup. She slowly closed her laptop shut and folded her hands together in front of her.

"So you come here often?" She began and just as those words came out of her mouth, she instantly regretted it thinking she sounded stupid.

"Once in a while," He responded. "When I really need the juice to stay awake. How about you?"

"I'm a regular," Riley laughed as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm Riley."

She extended her arm across the table and the man shook it, "I'm Lucas."

"I love it," Riley whispered to herself.

"What? I didn't catch that,"

"I said please to meet you,"

Lucas chuckled, "And you as well."

"So do you go to NYU or?"

"As a matter of fact I do," He nodded. "I'm studying to be a vet. How about you?"

"Childhood education,"

"Oh so that's what I interrupted you with. I'm so sorry!" Lucas apologized with a twinkle in his eye. "I have a friend who is majoring in Foreign Language Education and I see him typing up pages on pages of teaching plans."

"Yes but don't worry about it," Riley giggled. "I needed a study break anyways. I've been here for 3, maybe 4 hours already."

"Wow I'm impressed. I would've pulled my hair out already,"

Riley shook her head and took a sip of her coffee, "Believe me. I would but then people would stare at me."

"As long as you take those much needed study breaks then you should be good," Lucas glanced at his phone and frowned. "Damn it."

"Is something the matter?" Riley asked with concern in her eyes.

"I have to go and catch the bus now,"

"Oh, okay."

"I wish I didn't have to," Lucas admitted. "It was kind of nice talking to you."

"It was really nice talking to you too Lucas," She gave him a shy smile. "Thank you for keeping me company."

"Thank you for letting me sit and bother you for a while," He laughed as he stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. "Good luck with finals!"

"You too,"

Just as he was about to open the door, Lucas gave her a small wave and said, "I hope to see you around." And with that, he was gone from Riley's sight.

"It's a big campus, Lucas." She sighed as she opened her laptop. "It's going to take fate or a miracle for us to see each other again."

Riley returned to finish her teaching plan but her focus was already taken away from her. Not because her concentration peak had already passed, but because she could not stop thinking of the green eyed man that sat across from her just a few minutes ago. Their conversation was short but she felt the importance of it and she couldn't place a finger on why. _Hmm_ , she thought to herself. _Maya is going to get a kick out of this Riley story._

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Oh my gosh! I haven't written in a LONG TIME. Here's a little oneshot for all of you :) Let me know what you think of it!

For anyone waiting on the sequel to Be My Lady, I am in the process of it. The ideas and words are floating in my brain. I just need to actually write them down but I'm struggling to actually write them down :'(. I hope you'll bear with me. I am hoping to get it out by next month.

Thank you so much for reading! XOXO


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